Mangos, vistas and a super nice doctor

Before I left the US, everyone wanted to know why I decided to join the Peace Corps.  Since I arrived in Mexico, only 2 people have asked me, and it is kind of hard to explain in Spanish.  Based on my experience thus far, I would say that it is highly unusual for a woman my age to be unmarried and childless, to have lived alone for many years, and to have willingly left a great job with good benefits to go volunteer in a neighboring country.  Both times I tried to explain all the different factors that led to my decision but really it boils down to this: I wanted to change my life.  Mission accomplished.

Local church with lovely mosaic.

Typical lunch view.  

 Reading a GPS unit with Cindy and Pierre. 

 A little fun on top of the mountains. 

Local art. 

If you want more spice in your life, learning and doing new things on a regular basis will definitely help.  Every week here is different with opportunities to see and experience things for the first time.  This past week we went to a neighboring community for another fertilizer workshop, and in the process I got to see more beautiful pueblos and vistas.  It was a late night return, in part because this extremely kind family offered us coffee, corn on the cob, fresh peaches and delicious cake, and you just can’t say no to food. The kids in the house were also having a great time talking with us and sharing scary stories about snakes, scorpions, coyotes and some kind of bunny.  I have no idea what was supposed to be scary about the bunny but I did confirm twice that was the right word, so this kid was weaving quite the tale.

Lovely views from the countryside. 

This weekend was a blend of Mexican and US culture.  My host mom Alicia demonstrated the process for making delicious mango cajeta, which included over 200 green mangos obtained from trees in the local school yard.  This was a multi-part process that had her elbow-deep in mangos most of the weekend, but she now has enough filling to create mango cajetas for her family for the rest of the year! Needless to say, I will be staying friends with this family long after I find my own permanent housing.  We also had fresh tamales filled with chicken and atale with pineapple, which was delicious. It reminded me of cream of broccoli soup, but sweet, with the flavor of pineapple, that you drink from a cup. 

I think this was like step 5 in the 3-day process. 

Mash and remove the pits with your hands. 

The final product! 

Another mango treat. 

This weekend I also ate totally non-Mexican food – pizza with pineapple and ham – and indulged in way too much English as the other volunteer in my office had a friend visiting from the US and we met up with two other English speakers from Puerto Vallarta. I had to balance all that English with several hours of exercises in my Spanish workbook and am proud to say that I can now tell you exciting things like “I have heard that…” or “I will have lived here for one month…” or “the elephant was attacked” (although I hope I never have to say that). In other words, I am now SUPER exciting to talk to. 

We also taught our first English class this week for a new group of tour guides, and it looks like that is something we’ll be continuing on a weekly basis.  When I got home I had an impromptu session on basic English phrases and words for my host family and we further bonded the next day when they had to take me to the doctor for my first illness in Mexico. I’m on the mend and I appreciated that the doctor hugged me several times after it was clear I no longer thought I was going to die.

 Teaching English. 

First visit to a doctor in Mexico. I think the pink princess TV adds a nice touch.

The rainy season has officially arrived with lots of thunder, lightning and wind, and the mountains are starting to turn green.  I think this region is beautiful now but I keep hearing about how truly beautiful it is after the rainy season so stay tuned! 

Mosquitoes & Tolerance

It finally happened: the mosquitoes found me and instantly fell in love.  This past week I woke to find mosquito bites on my knuckles, on both hands. That’s right, even my knuckle bones are fair game. The only saving grace is that they also appear to love Pierre and Cindy and one day I will have a ceiling short enough from which to hang my mosquito net.  The other exciting, recent event was a party with a live Mariachi band! It was just as awesome as you might imagine, even after 5+ hours. I love music and those Mariachi outfits.

Two of the many mariachi band members serenading the crowd.

Chillin with the caballos.

View in the campo.

There are two smells I encounter almost daily in Mexico that make me oddly happy.  One is men’s aftershave – in the US, it always seems overpowering and reeks of alcohol, but here it reminds me of when I was a kid and my dad wore Drakkar Noir.  The other is insect repellent – I know, it’s weird, but it makes me feel like I’m always camping and out in nature vs. just trying to keep those blood suckers from feasting on my sweet, sweet blood.

I’m getting a better handle on my project which is super interesting with a lot of great energy and smart, passionate people.  We recently visited a local community at sunset and this is what I learned while providing dinner for the local mosquitoes: you can make fertilizer from animal bones.  And three deceased cows provide a lot of bones that are super light and easy to burn.  You can learn more here and make good use of the bones from that leftover rotisserie chicken next week.

Nature's art.

Big barrel full of bones.

 Piling bones into the drum for burning.

 Smokin.

Stoking the fire. 

I spend all of my time engaged in a few key activities these days: getting to know my project and the people in my office, getting to know my host family, studying and practicing Spanish, trying not to say or do something that will cause offense, trying to politely refuse food when I’m full, trying to find a permanent house and language tutor, and trying to sleep. I have not been able to sleep well recently and I’m pretty sure it’s because I told my host mom Alicia that I never have a problem with insomnia, which is a sure trigger for insomnia. I’m definitely tired because “trying” to do all these things all day, every day is exhausting.  Interesting, great and life changing, but also exhausting.  One Sunday I slept until 11:30 and awoke to a knock on my door cause my family was sure I was really sick.  Nope, just sleep deprived.  Woops!

  Best cow ever. 

 Papaya trees. 

 These were also very nice cows. 

Baby chicks. 

I went to lunch last Friday with both locals and extranjeros and we started talking about traveling and how many people here have family in the US.  When I asked if they had ever visited the US, the folks from Mexico said no, because they’ve never been able to get a visa. One person has been trying for 10 years and another’s spouse has a niece in the US she’s never been able to meet. I’ve also met people with adult children in the states they haven’t seen in 15 years because there's no path to visit.  I admit that I sadly don’t know much about the visa process other than that it was super easy for me to come to Mexico and they welcomed me with open arms. However, I can't imagine having family in the neighboring country that I couldn't see for 5, 10 or 20+ years – or ever – because I couldn't get approval to visit.

It’s a different perspective hearing about visa and immigration issues from people who want to visit your country for a vacation or to see their loved ones.  It’s also a different feeling to be in another country when you hear about tragedy at home, and that it was another event derived from intolerance and hate.  There is so much good in the world - you just have to look for it and be a part of it.  I’ll wax poetically another time about how much Mexico and the Peace Corps have taught me, but for now I will say that being in this position – a foreigner in another country, learning the language and how to navigate the culture – has reminded me of the importance of being the type of person that you want to meet. Kindness is important and contagious, and as someone great once said, peace begins with a smile. 

Let's Talk Toilets

Peace Corps Mexico is often referred to as the “posh corps" because it’s perhaps not as rough and tumble as serving in, oh say, Africa.  I will admit that there are a lot of things here that you can find back in the US, like Starbucks, cable TV, internet, Birkenstock stores, deodorant, and every Coke product known to man.  However, there’s plenty of stuff that’s different and you’ll be happy to know that I no longer live in a town with a Birkenstock store, so my life is a little less posh than it was during training. AND the other night the electricity went out so I couldn’t check Facebook for a full 2 hours!  That’s serving under conditions of hardship for sure.

 Art at the mall in Querétaro with almost everything you could want from the US.

  It's the springtime bunny.

 Roughing it without internet or lights for a full 2 hours this week.

I’m keeping a running list of things that are different here in Mexico compared to back home in the states.  For example, take Cheetos – the Cheetos here are delicious and you don’t even mind that you’re eating some kind of toxic orange chemical because these crunchy nuggets from heaven are slightly spicy and create a warm nostalgic feeling for something you didn’t even know you were missing.  Another thing that’s different, the public buses usually have loud music playing and will give you change on the spot for your fare (and may even stop anywhere you ask them to if the driver is so inclined or you seem like a super panicked foreigner).

 Different language - same sentiment.

However, at the top of the list of things that are different, at least for me, are the bathrooms. Not the bathrooms in homes, which are essentially the same as in the US, if not nicer at times.  The only thing different about home bathrooms here is that you often have to throw your toilet paper in the trash vs. the toilet.  As far as I can discern, it’s a plumbing issue and easy to get used to, especially if you grew up in rural Arkansas with a septic system.

However, the public bathrooms….those are different.  If you’re not used to the heat and thus drink a ton of water every day, you’re going to get to know the public bathrooms very well. There are good and bad public bathrooms, just like back home, but there are some key differences to highlight.  

• You pretty much always have to pay, 3-10 pesos. 
• There are no toilet seats. I repeat, no toilet seats. I know a volunteer who actually purchased a seat and installed it in one stall in the public restroom near her office and would wait to use that stall. When I went to visit, I also waited to use her stall because, well, it’s just nicer to have a seat. I’ve asked several people what this is all about and it appears that toilets don’t automatically come with seats when you buy them, so it’s cheaper to go without, and possibly easier to clean without a seat. I love just about everything so far in Mexico, but I miss toilet seats.
• Toilet paper is a touch and go situation.  If it’s a bathroom you pay to use, you either receive a pre-determined amount of TP when you pay for entry or there’s a wall outside the stalls with TP rolls where you can self-select how much you need.  If it’s a free bathroom, you either need to have TP with you in your pocket/purse/etc. or you can purchase it from an automatic dispenser on the wall.  You learn quickly the value of having TP or tissues tucked away in all nooks and crannies.
• Sometimes you flush the toilet with a handle and sometimes you have to exit the stall, fill up a bucket of water (from drums of water provided for your use) and pour that into the toilet so it can gravity flush.  The first time you encounter this, you are super confused, until some nice stranger explains to you with hand gestures what needs to happen.

 This was an exceptionally nice and modern restroom with dual-flush toilets, but no toilet seats.

I've only been here a few months and visited a tiny portion of the country so there are many more bathrooms to explore.  I can tell you that one time I found a nice, clean, public bathroom WITH a toilet seat, FREE TP and no charge to enter, and I felt a little like I had won the lottery. I was so excited I think I even texted my sister to share the good news. And for the record, no, I have not been to Starbucks in Mexico (it’s crazy expensive here, yo!). 

Bienvenue à Jalisco

Upon arriving in my new home in Jalisco, I discovered that my international experience was about to get a lot more international, thanks to the addition of young frenchman in my office.  His name is Pierre and he’s a summer intern who is already my favorite person from France. It’s awesome that we communicate in Spanish, sometimes with hilarious results that generate bursts of giggles. Who knows, maybe I can even learn some French here in Mexico.

Mexico, France, the USA....

   The central square at sunset.

  The site for Sunday night strolls and music.

My first week went by lightning fast and was full of a lot of relationship-building events, often lasting until late in the evening. On Sunday night, my family took me to the central square for the weekly community gathering with live music, lots of strolling and fun foods. I had my first chocolate-filled churro, which was like heaven covered in sugar, and got to meet more of the family here since everyone likes to partake in the Sunday night stroll. I’ve had the chance to try some new foods and beverages, all of which have been delicious: birria de res, aguas frescas (horchata, jimica, pepino, ciduela and tamarindo), camarones de mojo de ajo, and – most excitingly – pajarete.  I will admit I was nervous to drink this concoction of chocolate powder, grain alcohol and warm milk fresh from a cow early in the morning, but my mouth thought it was delicious and, thankfully, my stomach agreed.

The biggest cup of Pajarete - mine was smaller (photo by Cindy).

Martin getting super fresh milk for all of us (photo by Cindy).

 Quality time with the team - and the cows (photo by Cindy).

This bull is the dad to many cows we met - and he was ready for us to go.

I attended one community workshop and two celebrations recognizing the first round of informadores (i.e. tourist guides) here and met some very friendly people, including 3 men in a town of 600 people who knew Seattle and had worked there or had family working there!   I also heard about some amazing thermal waters and petroglyphs in their community, so hopefully I can return in the next 2 years to see them first hand as they are not easy to get to without a car.

  View from the central square in La Cuesta.

 A smaller version of a mechanism for processing coffee in La Cuesta.

 A lovely and warm community.

  La iglesia in La Cuesta.

  This flower smelled amazing!

 A hazy view on the road out as it's the season for forest fires.

I’m feeling more comfortable with talking in Spanish thanks in part to the patience and help of the people in my office.  I’ve learned some new words and phrases this week, along with some great cultural tips, like when to say pasa, pase o propio when someone asks for permission to pass.  Today I went to the local casa de cultura to inquire about art classes and was able to have a real conversation with the art teacher and learn about his classes, and additional classes for dancing and cooking at other spots in town!   And I was able to joke with a waiter yesterday about how I could not pronounce “birria” correctly, so there are small victories to celebrate.

  The central square in San Antonio de los Macedo.

  Countryside near San Antonio de los Macedo.

I’m continually amazed by the kindness of people here and realized that I could really be more giving.  Anytime food is present, I am offered some - even if it’s someone else’s meal they just received.  Earlier this week my host mom bought me that chocolate-filled churro, along with a lemonade when she invited me on another evening walk. Today I tasted some amazing beef and shrimp in a coworker’s fajita.  Yesterday, a man in my group received a loaf of mango (cajeta de mango) as a gift and he gave us all a taste and then split the loaf in 4 for all of us to take home and eat.  And this was a DELICIOUS food that I’m not sure I could have been moved to share with 3 other people. Which got me thinking about how sharing is good.  Generosity is good.  And although my automatic response is to say “no thank you” to everything I’m offered, the only thing I really need to say is “is it picante?” – and to then offer a gift to those with me (or better yet, to be the first to offer).